A lithium composite metal oxide is used as a positive electrode active material in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium secondary battery. The lithium secondary battery has already been put into practical use as a small size power supply for mobile phones, notebook computers, etc., and furthermore, there has been an attempt to utilize the lithium secondary battery as a medium or large size power supply for automobiles, power storage, etc.
Recently, with downsizing and multifunctioning portable devices, there has been an increasing demand for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high energy density, and the development of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries in excellent characteristics is more desired than ever.
As an existing lithium composite metal oxide, Patent literature 1 concretely discloses a lithium composite metal oxide which has a composition of Li:Mn:Ni:Co=1.06:0.43:0.34:0.16 and a BET specific surface area of 1.16 m2/g, and which exhibits a discharge capacity of 197.4 mAh/g when it is used as a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery.